Reiterate The Lines

 Varen woke up only to find himself alone in bed with Zeya nowhere to be found. With one swift motion, he got out of the bed and walked into the living room, hoping to see where everyone was.

 "You're finally awake." Zeya stated, noticing Varen's presence behind her without having to look back to confirm the fact.

 She was already starting to pack up, with Nox watching her every move close as usual. "Quickly then, pack your belongings. We are to leave this place by noon."

 "Why are you in such a rush? We can leave later in the evening when everyone is asleep." He asked as he leaned against the frame of the door, secretly admiring the view in front of him. 

 'I'm not better than a human, after all.' He thought once he realized where his gaze was heading towards. 

 "The villagers are starting to notice something is amiss." Zeya quickly looked back at Varen with a serious expression, unintentionally catching the Kaxarene red-handed. "News travels fast, Varen. If they find out that you're here to investigate the poppy trade, I'm sure the leader will figure out they've been caught. And I'd definitely not like to be imprisoned by the authorities for cannibalism."

 "Nox has already alerted the others back in Exousia so it should be fine but, it never hurts to be careful." 

 "From the looks of it, you do seem much more like yourself." She expressed with her hands crossed in front of her chest, holding Varen's mischievous gaze.

 "And it's thanks to all the love you gave me last night, dear." He said with a dashing smile, the mischief practically dancing around his red eyes. 

 "... I say this quite often, but you really do know how to get on my nerves." She confessed with a deadpan expression, getting back to packing up all her belongings. "I suppose some habits never really die out after all."

 "I'd like to claim the opposite." He countered Zeya's half-hearted insults, his smile faltering ever so slightly. "I've changed a lot since the last time we met."

 "You must have changed for the worse then." She scoffed at his words, not believing the audacity of the Kaxarene. 

 "I am being serious, Zeya." He insisted, disliking the disrespect that lied within Zeya's words. "Can't you see how hard I'm trying to rebuild the relations between our nations?"

 'I'm sure it had something to do with the humans' persuasions.' She thought, going against saying that as she knew that it would spark an intense reaction.

 "What's there left to rebuild when there's nothing but ashes in its place?" She questioned, starting to get irritated. "The damage has been done, and there's nothing we can do about it. Not even you."

 "Maybe if you just led by example, it would be easier for all of us." He argued, watching Zeya's expression falter as he said those words. "Don't you think that those High Roses are acting so hostile towards me because of you?"

 "They have every right to feel that way, especially after what you did."

 "... So, this is your way of punishing me for what I did then?" He asked, his voice suddenly getting lower, almost colder. "To apologize for what I had to do?"

 "And what's to come after that?" She taunted, her eyes widening with anger. "Will everything magically go back to how it was after you beg me for forgiveness?"

 "What difference would that even make, Varen?" She asked, a hint of sadness sparkling in her golden eyes, piercing through Varen's mask like an arrow searching for an answer that wasn't just a blatant lie. "It's not like everything would go change for the better if that was the case."

 "Have you forgotten why we're even here in the first place?" She asked. "You already made your choice. It's too long overdue to be changing your mind now."

 That same taunting thought couldn't help but devour him from within; she was doing all this to get back at him for what he did. His suspicions just seemed clearer now, and it was starting to get harder for him to just avoid thinking about it.

He tried so hard to rebuild what was lost after the war and after such a long time of pleading, her father finally agreed to go with his proposal and work with him but not long after that day, he was murdered by that cursed creature, Tvar.

 'Now I'm back at the beginning.' He thought, knowing that it was only going to be harder convincing the very being that despised him the most in the entire realm.

'We both betrayed each other in order to fight for what we believed was right.' He told himself, as an attempt to justify the decisions he made. 'This was bound to happen.'

 It was only like Zeya to have planned something to take him down, he knew her far too well to think otherwise. She was a creature of revenge after all... and saying that the years has changed her for the better was utter bullshit.

Zeya despised him and he found peace in that fact, it was only right for their relationship to be the way that it was after what had occurred in the past.

 And yet here he was, devasted by the sudden distance that she had placed between them. She belonged to him; how did she not know this?

 "This is my way of apologizing, by doing all I can to make things better." He reasoned, a coldness brewing in his gaze that felt withdrawn to Zeya. "For all of us. It's for you, your people, my people-" 

 "For us, you say?" She repeated his words sarcastically. "No, you're doing this to make yourself feel better."

 "Did I fucking ask for any of this?" Her hands were balled tightly into fists, trembling by her side as she tried to control her temper. "Who are you to decide what is and isn't for my sake?"

He was the fool to have thought that this would be easy. He couldn't help but laugh at how naive his thoughts were.

 "... All I'm trying to say is, be smart with your decisions, Zeya." He explained as he stepped back, deciding to hold back for now. "Do not make haste decisions merely because it brings you a sense of tranquility. Our biggest responsibility is the safety and well-being of our people... I'm sure you understand since you are an empress yourself now."

 "Is that a threat, Your Majesty?"

 "Depends on how you wish to take it, my dearest Empress." 

 "I should've bashed your head in when I had the chance." She sneered, the detest practically dripping off of every single word. "I was insane to have ever loved you in the past."

 "You're so adorable when you're upset, dear." He returned with a hateful smirk, the red in his eyes glowing menacingly. "But even some bastard like me has feelings, so I advise that you watch that mouth of yours. Before I do something we'll both regret."

 "We were bound to have this conversation at some point." He sighed, doing a rather great job at maintaining his cool. "I suppose all I can do is to keep repeating myself until you eventually give up and let me do what I want."

 "You always had a soft spot for me, didn't you, my love?" He stared at Zeya alluringly. "I know you hate my guts now, but those harsh emotions will fade in due time."

 "And if I have to kill you again to get those feelings to fade then... you know I won't hesitate if it means that I'll get what I want." His smile dropped, making his expression even more menacing than it already was before. 

 "You haven't change one bit, Varen." She confessed, slightly dumbfounded by his words. "You're still as insane as the day I left you."

 "... I suppose you were right after all." His face immediately brightened up with an innocent smile before he retreated back into his room, leaving Zeya and Nox astonished by the Kaxarene's duality.